HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG IN GREEK HOW TO

When you learn Greek, it is useful to know exactly when and where it is appropriate to wish someone a “happy this” or a “happy that.” In doing so, you will not only get a better feeling for Greek culture, but you will also experience a more authentic way of communicating with Greeks. So next time you are in Greece and you attend a name day or birthday, you know what to say or sing! Birthday): : The ancient Greeks celebrated the birthdays of some of the Olympian gods during the days of the month. Happy Birthday (literally: many years) May you live (name), and many years, May you become old with white hair. Due to the fact that many Greeks have the same names such as Giorgos, Konstantinos, Giannis, Dimitris, Maria, Eleni,… many people have their name day on the same day, which almost makes it a ‘national celebration’. Auden’s Greek Phrase Book provides a phrase for observing birthday sacrifices: (1963, 44) Oxford Classical Dictionary. In addition, they call each other to extend their best wishes …. On name days people gather, invite friends and family, give presents. Depending on if the person who has his/her birthday is a man or a woman, you need to adjust the song (see also parts marked in bold in the lyrics above).Īlthough there is a song for birthdays, it is good to know that in Greece, birthdays are actually celebrated less than name days, except in the case of children in primary school. The song in the video is in the female form. Take a look at this video of the Omilo team and students singing at the birthdays of students and teachers. Now that you know the lyrics, it is time to sing along. May you spread the light of knowledge everywhereĪnd may everyone say, here is a wise one. is the phrase used in Greece to say Happy Birthday. Let’s take a look at the lyrics and what they mean: So do not get confused when you celebrate a Name Day… for a Name Day you only say “Xronia polla”, but you do not sing. Note: you can only sing this song on the occasion of a Birthday, and not of a Name Day. Most Omilo students know the song since we always sing together on the birthdays of our staff, as well as their fellow students. Of course, you would pleasantly surprise every Greek, if you could also sing the birthday song in Greek…So why not give it a try? The words might not be so easy, but it is a short song with a nice message. However, if you want to take part in the truly traditional German. The Germans, interestingly enough, often defer to the English version of the song. Those two words actually mean “many years”.So there you are! it is easy you just say or write… xronia polla – or in Greek- Χρόνια Πολλά. I think it goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: no birthday would be complete without singing the official Happy Birthday song. You can use this wish on national holidays like New Year’s, Easter, and August 15th, as well as on name days and birthdays.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG IN GREEK HOW TO

Greek Speaking Starter Kit : Everyday Greek Language, for Beginnersĭo you have Greek friends? Would you like to know how to wish them a Happy Birthday in Greek? If you have been to Greece, most likely you have already heard the popular wish «Χρόνια πολλά».Prüfungsvorbereitung für Sprachzertifikat.However, if you really want to sound like a Greek when you wish somebody a Happy Birthday, the most realistic thing to do would be to combine all the above.(Geben Sie Ihre eigene Geschwindigkeit vor!) Other things that Greeks say on birthdays is Να ζήσεις (na ziseis), meaning “to live” or Χαρούμενα Γενέθλια (haroumena genethlia), which literally means Happy Birthday but is not actually that common in modern Greek. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators. However, it is very commonly used for birthdays and it’s actually a very positive and thoughtful wish since you are in reality saying “I truly wish for all your dreams and desires to come true.”

Ό,τι επιθυμείς! It could sound like a “lazy” wish since O,ti epithimeis basically means I wish whatever you wish for. Να τα εκατοστήσεις! Na ta ekatostiseis is another very popular wish used to hope once again for longevity! This phrase basically means “I hope you live to be 100 years old” and when living to be 100 started to sound as something easily achieved, people began to use a similar wish Να τα χιλιάσεις (Na ta hiliaseis), “I hope you live to be 1000!”

Happy birthday song in greek